Bottle-seal.



PATENTED MAR. 12, 1907.

0. G/HAWLEY.

BOTTLE SEAL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1900. Q

A [for/1135 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-SEAL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 12, 1907.

Application filed March 20,1900. Serial No. 9,376.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES G. HAwLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle- Seals; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to means for sealing bottles; and the object of the invention is to provide a device adapted to be placed in the neck of a bottle over the cork therein and which must be broken and destroyed before the cork can be drawn, being a guarantee of the genuineness of the contents of the bottle.

The invention consists, generally, in a frangible seal, preferably of glass or of like material, adapted to fit into the neck of a bottle over the cork therein, which latter is driven below the top of the bottle-neck. This seal comprises thick and thin parts or halves filling the neck-opening, with the thin part of the seal adapted to be broken from the thick part, thereby permitting access to the cork. The seal is of such size and strength of parts that the thin portion of the seal may be broken preferably by pressure upon the same, rather than by a stroke or jar, as from a heavy instrument. Furthermore, the seal is preferably secured to the cork, not to the neck of the bottle, and the means for securing the seal is preferably a wire, nail, or spud eX- tending down from the bottom of the seal and which is forced into the cork when the seal is pushed into the bottle-neck.

The invention also consists in the combination in a'protecting lug or web depending from the thin breakable part of the seal and resting upon the top of the cork to prevent the entrance of a thread or wire which might otherwise be used to pull out the seal without breaking it in the case of an irregularlyformed bottle.

The invention further consists in particular constructions and combinations of parts, all as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a bottleneck, the cork, and a frangible seal embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar view Figs. 6

views of a still further modification of my invention.

In the drawings, A represents a .bottleneck, and C the cork therein. It will be noted that the cork is driven farther into the neck of the bottle than is usual, allowing a small space between the top of the cork and the top of the bottle-neck. This space is occupied by the seal B, the top of which, however, is somewhat below the top of the bottle.

The seal is circular in form, completely filling the opening in the neck. The seal is of glass or like material, which cannot be out or drilled into readily, making it necessary to break the seal when it is desired to draw the cork.

The seal comprises the thick semicylindrical portion and the thin semicylindrical portion 11 These parts of the seal are integral, but are distinguished or separated by a small shoulder on the top of the seal and by the notch or groove 19 on the under side of the small or thin part of the seal. The thin part b is formed any desired distance below the top of the thick part of the seal in order that the thin part shall not be broken off when the seal is being forced into the bottle by the driver or by the finger of the workman or by accidental blows to which the bottle may be subjected.

The under side of the seal may bear a number or figure I) cast in the glass, and the seal is fastened not to the neck of the bottle, but to the cork, the means for fastening the same being a small nail or piece of wire I), that is cast into the thick part of the seal and practically forms a part of the seal. This nail drives down into the solid portion of the cork and can never come in contact with the liquor in the bottle.

The seal is tapered to conform to the usual taper of bottle-necks, and the upper edge or corner of the seal is preferably rounded somewhat, as indicated at b, to prevent the grasping of the seal between the prongs of a tool, the ends of which if very fine might be inserted in the bottle around the seal.

The connecting portion of the glass between the thick and thin parts of the seal is so small that the thin part may be broken readily by pressing thereon with the thumb or with a light instrument, such as a knife. It is much to be preferred that the breaking of the seal be done in this way rather than by striking the seal with a blunt instrument, such a blow being apt to shatter the glass into many pieces and perhaps break the bottleneck.

If desired, the nail or spud or wire may be roughened or barbed; but this is not usually necessary, as the corks areof sufficient density in most bottles to grasp the wire firmly.

In place of casting the wire or spud in the seal the seal may be provided with a T notch or groove If (see Fig. 5) to receive the small head of a light nail b, which will be placed therein before the seal is inserted in the bottle-neck.

If desired, the ends of the groove b may be protected by depending webs or solid parts as shown in Fig. 3. These also serve to strengthen the connection between the thick and thin parts of the seal, while not offering any considerable resistance to the breaking of the seal.

The necks of bottles that are commonly used vary considerably in size and shape, being not always circular, while the seals, which are cast in molds, are of regular dimensions. It sometimes occurs, therefore, that a seal does not completely fill the bottleneck, so that a small space or opening is left around the seal through which it might be possible to insert a fine wire or thread, which if drawn back under the thin part might be used to draw out the seal, although in most instances the seal would be broken if so tampered with. To prevent this, I prefer to form a depending web or lug b on the under side of, the thin part b of the seal. The point of this lug may be pressed into the top of the cork without danger of breaking the seal when inserting the same. The lug prevents the insertion of a wire or string, and yet when pressure is exerted upon the thin part of the seal with intent to break the same the lug will be simply forced into the cork, not offering much resistance to the breaking of the seal.

It is to be noted particularly that in all cases the preferable location of the wire or fastener in the seal is eccentric, so that when the seal is in position in the bottleneck the seal cannot be twisted or turned therein, and therefore cannot be loosened in the cork.

It is obvious that numerous modifications of my invention will. suggest themselves to one skilled in the art, and I therefore do not confine the invention to the specific constructions herein shown and described.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin halves or portions, as described, one

of which is provided with a spud or nail adapted to be driven into a cork by the insertion of the seal into a bottle-neck, for the purpose set forth.

2. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin portions, the thick portion provided with a fixed spud or nail adapted to be driven into the cork when the seal is inserted in a bottle-neck, for the purpose set forth.

3. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin portions, the latter to be broken from the former, and the two together adapted to fill the opening of a bottle-neck, and a seal-fastening fixed eccentrically in the seal, substantially as described.

4. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin portions connected by a weak portion and together adapted to fill the, opening of a bottle-neck, and said thin portion being provided with a depending web or lug of substantially the depth of said thick portion to rest upon the top of the cork to prevent the passage of a thread or wire, substantially as described.

5. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin halves or portions, and a spud or nail projecting downwardly from said thick portion, as described.

6. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin portions, the latter to be broken from the former, and the two together adapted to fill the opening of a bottle-neck, and a spud or nail cast in said thick portion, for the purpose specified.

7. A new article of manufacture comprising a frangible bottle-seal made up of thick and thin portions connected by a weak portion and together adapted to fill the opening of a bottleneck, said thin portion being provided with a depending web' or lug to block the passage of a thread or wire, and said thick portion having a spud or nail, substantially as described.

8. A new article of manufacture comprising a circular frangible seal provided with an eccentrically-positioned spud or nail, as and for the purpose specified.

9. A new article of manufacture comprising a circular frangible seal divided into two halves by a straight breaking-groove, and one of said halves provided with a spud or nail, as and for the purpose specified.

10. A new article of manufacture, a frangible bottle-seal comprising a thick portion and a thin portion connected. by a weak portion, said thin portion being provided with a depending web or lug to block the passage of a thread or wire, and a nail or spud pro-, vided in said thick portion, substantially as described.

11. The combination, with a bottle-neck portion being formed with its top below the and a cork therein, of a frangible seal fitting top of the thick portion, whereby the top of said neck over said cork and within the neck, I said thick portion serves to protect said thin. said seal comprising thick and thin portions I portion from accidental breakage, substanconnected by a weak portion, and an ecceni tially as described. trically-placed nail or fastening in said thick 20. A bottle-seal of frangible material, portion, substantially as described. i disk-like in form, adapted to fill the opening 12. A frangible seal comprising thick and i in a bottle-neck and comprising a thick nail thin portions, adapted together to fill the or spud holding portion, a thin portion inopening in a bottle-neck and a spud or nail i tegral'with said thick portion and adapted to in said thick portion, as described. y be broken therefrom by pressure, said thin 13. A frangible seal comprising thick and portion being formed with its top below the thin halves or portions, and a barbed spud, top of the thick portion, whereby said thick fixed in said thick portion, substantially as portion serves to protect said.v thin portion described. from accidental breakage, and the upper edge 14. The combination with a bottle-neck of the seal being rounded, as and for the purand a cork therein of a frangible seal in the pose specified. top of said neck over said cork and below the i 21. The combination of a bottle-neck, contop of the bottle-neck, said seal comprising taining a cork driven below the top of the bota thick half and a thin half, said thick half tle-neck with a disk-like seal of frangible maresting upon the cork, and said thin half terial filling the bottleneck above the cork joined to said thick half by a weak part, and having its top below the top of the botadapted to be broken from said thick half by tie-neck, said seal comprising a thick nail or pressure upon said thin half, as described. I spud holding portion, a nail or spud cast into 15. A frangible seal of disk form adapted said thick portion and driven into said cork, to fill the neck of a bottle comprising thick a thin seal portion integral with said thick and thin portions provided with a groove, 5, portion, adapted to be broken therefrom by and depending webs at the ends of said groove pressure and having its top below the top of to prevent the safe insertion of a removingsaid thick portion, whereby the latter serves 0 tool, substantially as described. to protect said thin portion from accidental 16. A bottle-seal of frangible material, i breakage, substantially as described. disk-like in form, adapted to fill the opening 1 22. The combination of a bottle-neck conin a bottle-neck and comprising a thick nail taining a cork with a seal of frangible mateor spud holding portion and a thin portion rial filling the upper part of the bottle-neck integral with said thick portion and adapted and having its top below the top of the botto be broken therefrom by pressure, and a tle-neck, said'seal comprising thick and thin nail or spud, substantially as described. portions having a weak integral connection,

17. A bottle-seal of frangible material, the nail or spud eccentrically and perdisk like in form, adapted to fill the opening manently secured in the thick portion of the in a bottle-neck, and comprising a thick nail seal and driven into said cork, and a distinor spud holding portion and a thin portion guishing character provided upon the under integral with said thick portion and adapted side of the thin portion of the seal and visible to be broken therefrom by pressure, and a therethrough, substantially as and for the nail or spud depending from said thick porpurpose specified. 1 5 tion, substantially as described. f 23. A bottleseal of frangible material,

18. A bottle-seal of frangible material, disk-like in form and having an integrally-atdisk-like in form, adapted to fill the opening tached depending spud or nail for fastening in a bottle-neck, and comprising a thick nail the same to the bottle-cork, substantially as or spud holding portion, a thin portion indescribed. I1 tegral with said thick portion and adapted to 24. A bottle-neck containing a cork debe broken therefrom by pressure, and a nail pressed below the top of said neck, in combior spud depending from said thick portion nation with a frangible seal in the neck and and eccentrically located with relation to the also below the top thereof and a single pin disk or seal as a whole, substantially as deeccentric fastening for said seal in said neck. I15

scribed. In testimony whereof I affix my signature 19. A bottle-seal of frangible material, in presence of two witnesses. disk-like in form, adapted to fill the opening CHARLES G HAWLEY in a bottle-neck and comprising a thick nail or spud holding portion, a thin portion in- Witnesses: tegral with said thick portion and adapted to R. S. Downs, be broken therefrom by pressure, said thin H. O. WEAVER. 

